Israel slams door on German Foreign Minister

Date of publication: 25 04 2017, 17:08

Jerusalem, Israel. In a move that surprised many Germans, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded to a German diplomat on a state visit, who decided to meet with opposition figures. Netanyahu simply chose to not see the German official, to register his displeasure at the Germans balatant lack of consideration for Israeli national honor.

The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled a meeting with the visiting German foreign minister over the latter’s plans to hold a meeting with Israeli rights groups in opposition to Netanyahu’s government.

An Israeli official said Prime Minister Netanyahu was upset that German foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel is sitting down with Breaking the Silence, a whistleblowing group critical of Israeli military actions in the West Bank.

Earlier in the day, Gabriel said it would be “regrettable” if the meeting was cancelled.The cancellation marks a rare diplomatic feud between Israel and one of its closest and most important allies.

The last-minute decision cast a cloud over a visit that had been meant to draw attention to years of friendship between the two countries and coincided with Israel’s annual Holocaust memorial day. Making the German minister’s actions even more insulting and insensitive to his hosts.

Asked about a possible cancellation earlier, Gabriel said it would not be a “catastrophe”. He said: ” I have been in this country so often and have a lot of friends, and it wouldn’t change my relationship with Israel. Gabriel has been Germany’s foreign minister since January and its vice chancellor since 2013.This is his first visit to Israel in the new job.